Lane Kiffin addresses the transformation of Ole Miss defensive line following spring game

Following their spring game debut, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke highly about the progress his defensive line has made since he arrived. Kiffin took over the Rebels’ program before the 2020 season, and led them to a ten-win season in just his second year as they finished with a 10-3 record last season.

Lane Kiffin on defensive line growth

“I think our defensive line has been deeper all camp, or spring,” said Kiffin about his team. “Some of those guys being new have added that. I think by far that’s our biggest positional change from when we got here to now. We’ve made that group — [they] went from, I would say, our weakest link to maybe our strongest. So that’s good.”

Statistics alone don’t tell the whole story about Kiffin’s defense, as the Rebels have been one of the highest tempo teams in the nation since 2020. In 2019 without Kiffin, Ole Miss scored 26.6 points per game while conceding 26.5 points on defense in a 4-8 season. In Kiffin’s first year that tempo improved to an incredible 39.2 points per game while allowing an incredible 38.3 points.

Last year however, the defense improved dramatically to combine with a high-powered offense for a ten-win season. In 2021, Ole Miss scored 33.7 points per game and allowed a much improved 24.7 points. Now, Kiffin claims that his defense is only getting stronger behind a continually improving defensive line.

While he improves his team on the field in any way he can, one of Kiffin’s greatest tools has been the NCAA Transfer Portal. Kiffin aggressively has recruited to Ole Miss in unique ways, including using a Rolls Royce to chauffer prospects around. His efforts haven’t gone un-rewarded either — Ole Miss has the 23rd-ranked recruiting class of 2022 according to the On3 Team Consensus Rankings.

Jared Ivey from Georgia Tech is one of those new faces from the Transfer Portal that are helping improve his defensive line. Alongside him will be players like Tavius Robinson, K.D. Hill and Tywone Malone. With a new defensive coordinator this season, the defensive line could change more with a new scheme but will ultimately continue to be a key to future success at Ole Miss.